Fireplace-damper adjuster



Jan. 24, 1928.

A. W. CHAPMAN FIREPLACE DAMPER ADJUSTER Filed May 12. 1927 Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED W. CHAPMAN, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DONLEY BROTHERS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

FIREPLACE-DAMPER ADJUSTER.

Application filed May 12,

This invention relates to means for holding in position and adjusting the degree of opening of dampers in the chimney hues of fireplaces; and it refers more particularly to such means designed to be shifted by a fire poker.

Poker-operated fireplace damper controllers of the class shown in the patent to Harry N. Gain, No. 1,415,522, May 9, 1922, are suitable for fireplaces having dampers and flue throats level with or but slightly above the main arch or lintel of the fireplace front; but when such dampers and throats are set some inches or a foot above the fire place opening, as has now become more approved practice in fireplace design, it results in locating the damper controller so high up in the chimney that it cannot be seen from in front of the fireplace, and is, therefore, very difficult or impossible to reach and operate with a poker, or any implement.

Wherefore, the prime object of my present invention is to provide convenient and accessible means for adjusting a fireplace damper, even though the damper is set some distance above the arch or lintel of the fireplace. Another important object is to provide a controlling device-adapted to open a fireplace damper by a pull with a hook ended poker en aged therewith, instead of a push as heretofbre required, it being much more natural and convenient for an operator to pull a poker forward and away from the fire than to push it backward; and the poker will not slip out of or through the operating ring when pulled, as it is apt to do when pushed. Further objects are to produce a damper regulating device adaptable to the height of the damper above the fireplace opening; which is arranged to operate freely and prevent clogging; and which is simple, efficient and inexpensive to install.

Minor advantages will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which-- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation from front to rear of a part of a chimney and fireplace showing a damper with my improved adjusting means set therein.

Fig. 2 is a top View,

Fig. 3 is a side view, and

Fig. 1 is a front view of the adjusting 1927. Serial No. 190,805.

device enlarged and disconnected from the damper.

The reference numeral 1 indicates the up per part of a fireplace opening and 2 the lower end of a smoke fine, as ordinarily arranged in a house chimney 3. As usually constructed an iron damper frame is set in the masonry of the chimney, and comprises a hollow, wedge-shaped body 4, its open bottom conforming to the top of the fireplace, its sides and ends inclined inwardly, and a surrounding horizontal flange 5 forming its base. The rear part of the flange 5 rests upon the shelf 6 at the bottom of the flue 2, and its forwardly projecting portion, to gether with the inclined front of the body 41, spans the fireplace 1 and assists in supporting the wall above it. The inclined rear side of the body 4 rises but slightly above the flange 5, thus forming a large rectangular flue orifice 7 in the rear slope of the damper frame.

A flat-faced damper door 8 adapted to open and close the orifice 7 is mounted to turn in suitable sockets 9, as shown upon the rearslope of the frame body 4, orthe damper may be hinged in any approved way at its lower edgeto the frame. Thus the damper closes by gravity, unless it is opened to the extreme position shown by dotted linesin Fig. 1.

The adjuster comprises a straight rack-bar 10 of rectangular section hinged at its lower end by a removable cotter pin 11 between a pair of depending ears 12 of the damper frame, and said bar has ratch-teeth 13 formed in its upper edge. Diagonally opposed standards with their tops connected together asat 11, are extended up from the sides of the bar 10 at its upper end, and form a self-cleaning, rectangular guidewa 'loop through which a pawl-bar 15 may oosely slide.

The pawl-bar 15, which is also straight and of substantially rectangular section, is hinged at its upper end, preferably by a cotter pin 16, between a pair of ears 17 projecting from the under face of the damper door 8; both the bars 10 and 15 being hinged to swing vertically. The lower end of the bar15 is bent downward and beveled to a thin edge, as at 18, so as to form a detent fitted to engage the ratch-teeth 13 when sliding downward.

The rack-bar 10 has a short arm 19 rlepending from its lower end, togn hicl'i are hinged, one on each side o't'it, by a bolt 20 a pair of flat and substantially parallel bars. 21 and 21; to make.- a link connection. The operating lever ishpreferably formed.

of a pair of flat, parallel bars 22 and 22 depending from a hinge-bolt 3 23 passed through the pawl-bar 15' adjacent to its cletent 18, and loosely embracing theraclehar 1Q to guide the slidahle pawl-bar, antlkeep the (l'etent 18 properly alined with theratchteeth 13. The links 21 and 2t mierlaoftlie lerenhars 22 and 22 re spectively ant are hinged to the latter by abolt 2. So, that. the links normally lie nearly atrightangles to and provide air oscillatory, self adjnsting fulcrum for the operating lever. ring-Q shaped handle 25- depend's from thelower end of" the operating lever, being preferably formed beneath a flat shank 26 whichis insertfed and riveted, as at 27, between the flat. bars 22 and 22.

To adjust the damper to regulate the draft of a fire an ordinary hook ended poker may he used to engage the handle ring 25, as in dicated by dotted lines in Fig, 1; a forward pull on the handle ring rocking the upper end of" the operating lever and the-pawhhar 15 backward, thereby op,enii'igthe damper door 8 While the detent l8 contacts by gravi'ty with and slips back over the latch-teeth 13; the detent engaging; one of said teeth to hold the damper corresponding position widen the operator stops pulling on the ring, An upward push on the ring rel'asesthe rateh pawl 18 from the teeth 13, and permits the daniperj to close by gravity. If t damper @100 is swims ack over i center the lerer bar 22 stops, against the guide 14;, and a push on the ring '2-5 readily throws it, over to gravity-closing; position. The gni'deway a'tjtherear eiul of the rackharlO is beveled at its bottom and top, as shown at 28 and 2,9 in Figs. 3 and 4, so

that, the pawl-haiand operating lever can he raised until the bolt 24 stops againstthe raekrbar to. dislodge any vaccunnilations of soot which may form on the device Until recently it has been coninno'n 1) actice to,set the damper 'traine level with" the top ofthe fireplace opening, the latter being at 30, Fig. 1, and the front part of the lange; 5 serving as a, hotel supporting the fireplace arch; but in later approfred de- Siglls he: damper and chimney shelf 6 are set a distance depending on size and preference above the opening, so" that the lintel or arch relatively lowered to a position 31, as shown. Thus the necessity for providing a.,luiIld G:1 I1g: 25 poeitionet lower douurthan those tound in existing damper controls should be readily understood. It is aleo -olnzions that the length of the operating levcr22can be varied to corres 30nd with varying heights of the damper a hove the arch 31, so that the ring 25 can easily be seen and; engaged Witlra iolter, and yet remain ordinarily hidden torn the view of the occupants of the room.

I further point out and distinctly claim as my inrentionk 1. An adjuster lor dampers comprising a pair of interlockingbars adapted to connect a damper vwith a lifted support, one of said bars being slitlahle longitudinally upon the other har, andan operating lever hinged to and pendant "tl'fln'i said slidahlehar having an oscillatory fulcrum pivoted upon the other bar. I

2. An adjuster for dampers comprising a pair 'of interlockin liars adapted to connect a (lan'iper with a fixed support, one of said bars tem slidalile longilzudinall upon the other bar, an opcratingltwer hinged to and pendant from said slitl'thlo her, and a linlt connection hctw n the operating lever and a tlependingaim o't saitl other liar; h

3. Airatljust dcrice toifdampcrs (Tfilllprising a raclehar:having a guitleway loop at" its free end, a pawl-liar slitlahle in said loop upon theracl t-bar andcngagealile with ratch-teeth on the latter" tofprovent shorten ing the thrice; an operating; lever pendant from its hinge connection to thepaivl-haf and GIYllll'ttClI'lQtlltl rack-bar;and means forming an, oscillatory fulcrum fornew erating lever onthe raek-har; l. llnadjnstingdevice frsrhlalnpelncoinprising a rack-bar haying a guidewayloop at its, tree end and apendant arm on its attachahlecnd, a pawl hai slidhhle in said loop upon the raclirhaa: alntcng gtcziblefitith ratch-jteethon the latterto prev m ALEREDW. ,orztarnait. 

